Steerable traction drive mechanism.



F. 1. & B. P. RBMY & A. BERGER. STEBRABLE TRACTION DRIVE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED 13110.9, 1912. 1;124,951. Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

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E. I. & B. P. EEMY & A. BERGER. STE'ERABLE TRACTION DRIVE MECHANISM.

APPLIOATIDN FILED DEO.9.1912.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

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UNITED s'rAns PA 4.

FRANK I. REMY, BENJAMIN P. REMY, AND ARTHUR BERG-ER, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA.

ASSIGNORS 'ro REMY BROTHERS Nnnsnrr.

COMPANY, OF ANDERSON. INDIANA, A COPART- STEERABLE TRACTION DRIVE MECHANISM.

Application filed December 9, 1912. Serial No. 735,738.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK I. REMY, BENJAMIN P. REMY, and'AR'rHiun BERGER, citizens of the United States, and residents of Anderson, county of Madison, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Steerable Traction Drive Mechanism; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,.and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters refer to like parts.

The object of this invention is to provide a tractor, traction engine, automobile or like vehicle so as to steer through or by utilizing the drive wheels or the wheels to which power is transmitted for propelling the vehicle, and thus simplify the machine. It is particularly adapted for use in connection with tractors and traction engines.

The chief feature of the invention consists in providing means for varying the relative speeds of the two drive wheels and thus cause the machine to turn or steer. Said means enables one to drive the drive wheels at a uniform speed for straight ahead,'or to vary the speeds thereof to any degree desired for turning or steering as sharply as may be desired.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, 'f Figure 1 is a view of a portion 'of a traction engine showing the parts in plan view and the two drive wheels in horizontal section and parts broken away and the transmission mechanism in condition for traveling straight ahead. Fig. 2 is a, rear elevation of "what is shown in Fig-.- 1 with the drive wheels partlybroken away. Fig. 3 shows the rear half of Fig. 1 with the parts altered for changing the speed of both drive wheels alike, as when going straight ahead. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the position of the parts when the machineis turning to the right. Fig. 5 is a similar view with the parts in position for turning to the left.

There is shown herein the side bars 10 of the chassis or frame of a traction engine or automobile, and an axle 11 mounted thereon and carrying drive whe'els 1 2 and 13 on theends thereof. These drive wheels operate loosely on the axle 11 andthefwheell-2 has Specification of Letters Patent.

of power.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

. and an internal gear 17 therein. The drum 16 is of greater diameter than the drum 14 and likewise the internal gear 17 is of greater diameter than the external gear 15.

The wheels 12 and 13 are driven by pinions 18 keyed or slidably mounted upon the driving shafts 19 between collars 20 and 21, see Fig. 2, extending from a bracket 22 secured to'the chassis or frame 10. This construction is such that the shafts may be moved longitudinally, but the pinions cannot, and yet .power will be transmitted to the shafts and the pinions, and the pinions always be held in the same position with re lation to the gears 15 and 17.

The shafts 19 are in alinement with each other and at their outer ends are mounted in 23 not merely to hold them together, but

permit their independent rotation. The

coupling 23 is a housing with laterally inwardly extending flanges or portions which project loosely into peripheral grooves 24 in the shafts near their ends. These shafts 19 are driven by friction disks or Wheels 25, one being'mounted on each shaft and the two being parallel with each other and both adapted to be driven by one friction disk 26 which is secured on a driving shaft 27 which is driven by an engiiie or other source Since both wheels 25 are driven by the same driving disk, and one driven diskis on each side of the center of the driving disk, therefore, they will rotate'in opposite directions and for that reason the pinions 18 are arranged to drive an external -,gear on one drive wheel and an internal gear mounted upon a rod 127 mounted in brackets 28 and 29. Said rod 127 has two arms 30 loosely mounted thereon and held from lateralmovement' on said a-by collars 130 and they extend "inward. and carry a reversely threaded screw rod 31 havinga wheel 32 at one end whereby it is operated and it 65 extending inward fromit-a drumor eir'tends through the two arms 126 and is ;1.'5":13 endent='of each other;

threadedinsaid arms. Therefore, by turning the screw rod 31 in one direction, the "arms 1 26 will be moved toward each other the the driven disks will move toward the 5' center of the driving disk equally and the speed of the vehicle correspondingly diminished. A reverse operation of the screw rod 31"will'p'roducefthe opposite result and move said friction disks 25 outward to their high speed positions, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

". fflheifforegoing mechanism drives the vehiole straight ahead and at any desired speed mindiianyilittle inequalities in operation are m'ovided for-by the shafts 19 beinginde i-flit) change the relative speed of the drive '-wheels 12 and 13, the rod 127 is threaded at oiiefendand operates in a threaded hearing the-hracket'29 and has a hand wheel 33 '20 secured to it so that when the'hand wheel is tnrned said' bracket 29 will shift the screw mildafilg 'the arms l 26 and both friction disks ml a lgroup'or whole, in one direction or -ythe' othergiand in that manner the position 2 5 xifithetwo friction disks 25 relative to the -center of the drive disk 26 canbe varied. Assuming the frictionidisks 25 to be somelgvithat fcl'oser together than inFig. 1, but N egnidijstant from the center of the disk 26,

. turning the hand wheel 33 to the left, the

friction disks 25 will shift to the left so that fight-hand disk will be moved closer to enter of the driven disk 26, and the e 'centerofthe friction disk 26. Then the hand disk wilrrotate more slowly than tli ft-hand disk and the same will be true of-the? drive wheels, the wheel 12 traveling more slowly thanthe wheel 13, and that will I ieteer the wheel orcause it to turn and the sharpness of the'turn to the right, as shown in Fig 4g will depend upon thev extent to which thehand wheel 33 is turned.

"Ofl the-"otherhand, if the hand wheel 33 68 should ttir'ned to the right, it will shift the friction disks 25 to the right and thereby caii'se the left-hand disk 25' and wheel 13 to travel at a'slo'wer speed than the right-hand wheel'and then the machine will turn or be 56. steeredv to ="the left, as shown in Fig. 5. Therefore, the Wheel 33 is in the nature of a steering wheel as well as a speed changing wheel, changing the speed of the two drive wheels 12 and 13 with respect to eac other 95 andtherehy steering the machine, while the and disk-he moved farther away from tionship in the travel of the wheels will be maintained.

The shafts 19 are slidable ill bearings '20 cept when a very sharp turn is desired. x

'.'We claim as our invention:

1. A vehicle includmg apalr of shafts 1n alinement with each other, means for driv-- ing the same in opposite directions, a pair of wheels to be driven and which are in alinement with each other, a drum extending inwardly from each wheel, an internal gear on one of said drums, an external gear on the other drum, and a pinion on each shaft meshing with said gears.

2. A vehicle including a, frame, a pair of shafts in alinement with each other, a driven friction disk splined on each shaft, a driving friction disk for operating said driven friction disks simultaneously in opposite directions, a rod mounted upon said frame so that it maybe reciprocated. parallel with said a pair of shafts in alinement with each' other, a pair of'bearings secured at each side the frame in which each shaft is mounted and in which the shafts are longitudinally slidable, a pinion splined on each shaft between said bearings for engaging said gears, a friction driven disk splined on each shaft, a driving friction disk engaging both friction driven disks, means for moving the friction disks toward each other on said shafts, and means for simultaneously shifting both of said shafts and friction disks laterally, as desired.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto afiixed our signatures in the presence of the witnesses herein nmned;

" FRANK I. REMY.

BENJAMIN P. REMY.

ARTHUR BERGER. Vitnesses:

H. B. POLAND, RUTH I. MILLER. 

